I Don't Have Anyone But You
by Emilee Crumby
Summary: Short glimpse of another way Pepper looks after Tony. sick! Tony


I don't have anyone but you

Going to remain short… just an attempt to capture a passing moment in their lives. If you like I may write another like it.

"Pepper!"

Silently she appeared at the door of his workshop. "Yes Mr. Stark?"

"More tea, please," he said through congestion, indicating his mug with an oil slicked hand.

"Would you like anything to eat with that? Toast or soup maybe?"

The normally loquacious Tony Stark grumbled wordlessly which Pepper took to mean: 'Although I'm not particularly hungry, I suppose I could be persuaded to eat something if _you_ prepared it. You really are a fantastic cook.'

With these flattering words to encourage her, Pepper scurried to the kitchen to finish the soup she had started cooking earlier that day. After a final dash of herbs, fresh from Jarvis' hydroponic garden she twisted a lemon into the tea and lifted the tray to bring downstairs. Only a few steps from the kitchen she heard a thunderous sneeze from the workshop and turned on a heel to snatch a box of tissues. She placed it neatly between the soup and tea and continued on her trek.

He looked up when she entered and struggled to affect coolness as he eagerly took the mug from her hands. He tried to inhale the steam through his nose but was far too stuffed up. Instead, he took a long draught and let it sit in his mouth a moment and warm his throat.

When he had swallowed he opened his eyes to see a thermometer being thrust in his face.

"It's time to take your temperature again," Pepper said.

Tony furrowed his brow in disdain but snatched the thermometer and stuck it under his tongue before returning to his chair. While tapping his teeth on the smooth glass, he began again to dig through machinery, plucking small wires and studying them with great interest.

While waiting Pepper began to scoop balled up tissues into a trash can.

"You know this waste basket is right under your desk. It's really not that hard to get your trash all the way into it."

"Harumphh ftt brrd," Tony replied around the thermometer.

"Don't talk," she condemmed without looking over. "And no, being sick is no excuse to throw trash everywhere. If you claim to be well enough to work on your suit, you're well enough to keep tidy."

He glowered at her words, his face still deep in wires and she continued to look away as she cleaned. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she plucked tissues from behind his monitors. "How did they even get in here?" she said, more to herself this time than him.

She scanned the room and, appearing satisfied, replaced the receptacle and crossed the room to the work bench.

"Time," she said. Without taking his hands or eyes off his work, Tony lifted her face towards her and she removed the thermometer, resting her other hand briefly on his forehead.

"Your fever's gone up," she commented, holding the device to the light and squinting. "How do you feel?"

He shrugged disinterestedly. "Pass me that wrench, would you?"

She retrieved the tool and held it before him. Without grasping it, he held up a finger in warning and turned away to face the worklight. She waited patiently while his eyes watered and nostrils twitched. Finally, he sighed and rubbed his nose.

"Well that's just the worst feeling ever," he mumbled, taking the wrench. He started to adjust a bolt, lifting the weighty arm of his suit close to his face while Pepper shook two Tylenol into her hand.

She was looking away and jolted when the sneeze returned and he doubled at the waist with a deafening "Eeiitchoou!"

The strength of the sneeze forced him forward, pinching his knuckles between the piece in his hand and the bench beside him.

"Ahh," he yelped, pressing his injured fist to his mouth.

Pepper winced and crossed to his other side to inspect his hand. She moved her face close and he delicately unfurled his fingers, resting the back of his large hand in her palms. The motion, he found, was relatively painless and his bones appeared saved. There was, however, a large gash across the inside of his thumb and blood was already starting to trickle down his wrist.

Wordlessly, Pepper smacked at his other hand, which was bringing a soiled rag to the wound.

"Let me get something clean," she insisted. "Hold it above your heart."

She dashed quickly to the hall for the first aid kit and returned to see Tony raising one arm, like a school child, and trying to handle the wrench with the other. It was almost laughably pathetic.

"You may as well give it up Mr. Stark," she joked, moving back to his hand and starting to wipe it with a towel. "Unfortunately, left-handed dexterity is not one of your many gifts."

He winced as she dabbed alcohol on the cut. "Well then you had better wrap that hand tight so I can keep using it."

"Tony," she said, unusually sharply. "Do you think you might just take it easy for the rest of the day?"

He cocked his head characteristically. "Why?"

Pepper sighed and began to unwind a long bandage. "Well you're sick for one, and injured for two."

"Oh," he looked at his bleeding thumb. "It's not that deep is it? I've had worse. Besides, this is how I take it easy. Nothing quite as calming as kicking back in the lab with my vario-beam."

"Of course not," Pepper said indulgently. "But you can't be feeling well with that fever and all. You can hardly even breathe."

Tony pursed his lips and faced her to listen to the argument.

"So maybe spending one afternoon in bed wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. You can sleep or watch a movie. I'll set up the eucalyptus steamer. It might be nice."

Tony lifted his head. "That _could_ be nice," he said thoughtfully. "And you're going to be bringing me soup and tea and catering to my every need?"

Pepper nodded.

Tony considered a moment longer. "Can I have a bell?"

"If that's what you want, boss," Pepper answered through tight lips. "Ensuring your comfort is why you pay me the big bucks."

Tony started to smile before his jaw went slack again and the look of a sneeze crept into his eyes. After quick glance at his one bandaged hand and his other grease covered and still holding the suit arm, Pepper snatched a tissue from the adjacent box and pressed it over his nose and mouth, capturing the sneeze as it escaped.

"God bless you, Tony," she said as he took the tissue from her hand and blew his nose.

"You really do take excellent care of me," he said, throwing the wadded up tissue away from himself.

"Someone has to," she murmured, placing her hand on his shoulder and looking with disdain at the tissue on the floor.

He rose nearly halfway to standing before his knees buckled. Pepper wrapped her arms around his chest and found herself pressing her face against his shoulder in an effort to steady her boss. At this proximity his temperature seemed even higher and his body heat seemed to wrap her all the way around. Slowly, she lifted her face up towards his. Her breath caught when she saw the glow in eyes that were staring right at her. His gaze was not to whatever service she could provide, not past her while his thoughts ran miles in the other direction, but truly right at her.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"Of course, Tony."

And he leaned into her as she walked him to bed.


End file.
